Remember when Donald Trump said four times in quick succession that President Obama was the "founder of ISIS?" Remember when he said this after referring to the President as "Barack HUSSEIN Obama?" Remember when he went on Hugh Hewitt's radio show after the fact and doubled down on what he meant?

"No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS," Trump told Hewitt. "I do. He was the most valuable player. I give him the most valuable player award. I give her, too, by the way, Hillary Clinton."

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And when Hewitt pushed back, saying Obama "hates" ISIS and is "trying to kill them," Trump kept on going. "I don't care," he said, "He was the founder. His, the way he got out of Iraq was that that was the founding of ISIS, okay?"

Remember when he also backed the sentiment in a CNBC interview? Where he legitimately asked if there was "something wrong" with saying a sitting president founded an anti-American terrorist organization without justification?

Oh yeah, all that was yesterday. But now times have changed—or, more likely, Trump realized that this line of rhetoric is getting him in trouble. So there's only one thing to do: Back away quickly while saying, "JK, LOL."

Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) "the founder" of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?

As TPMreminds us, this is not the first time Trump has said something dumb or offensive that he or his defenders have tried to pass off as a joke. Just this week, Speaker Paul Ryan desperately tried to write off the Second Amendment People fiasco as a gag. Last month, the Orange One's invitation to the Russians to hack into Hillary Clinton's emails was also recast as a light-hearted aside.

If only Trump's jokes were funny. If only he weren't running for president.